A confidential email from a Tory MP shows how local hospital closures are being kept secret from the public until after the election in order to avoid ‘sensitive’ issues arising during the election campaign.
The leaked email from Wellingborough Tory MP Peter Bone to a member of the Board of Directors of the local NHS Clinical Commissioning Group shows how police and fire station closures are also being secretly delayed until after the election:
From: Bone, Peter
Date: Wed, Apr 8, 2015 at 3:16 PM
Subject: Proposed relocation of services consultation
To: “Rees, Stuart”
Dear Stuart,
Thank you very much for your telephone call earlier today regarding the proposed consultation with regards to the possible relocation of services from the Isebrook Hospital site. Whilst a huge supporter of the Isebrook site during my time as MP, I appreciate that the CCG has difficult decisions to make in the interim and I will certainly engage with the consultation process.
As discussed earlier, the Police & Crime Commissioner Adam Simmonds has held off the announcement on the closure of the cells at Wellingborough police station and relocation of remaining personnel to the Criminal Justice Centre in Northampton until after the election. The same can be said about the proposed closure of Rushden fire station, and the other small fire stations in the county.
With the imminent elections, these issues could prove very sensitive. As such, I would like to thank you for holding off this particular consultation until the end of May. This will prevent the issue becoming an election issue and will allow the community to come together to respond to the consultation.
With very best wishes,
Peter
Interestingly, the email was leaked by a local Tory activist, fed up with the lies and corruption from his local MP:
Local Tories in Wellingborough turn on their Tory candidate Peter Bone
tompride.wordpress.com/2015/04/22/confidential-email-shows-tories-secretly-holding-off-hospital-closures-until-after-election/